A PREMIERSHIP football club and a housing society have teamed up to provide an exciting new sport and education programme for youngsters in Medway.

The three-stage package delivered by Charlton Athletic and Medway-based mhs homes kicks off this half-term with 100 children offered free professional coaching sessions and family tickets to a home match.

The partnership, which is investing hundreds of thousands of pounds in the scheme, will be taking a converted double decker bus to reach rural areas.

By 2004 a new sport and education centre is planned for Chatham with five-a-side pitch, library, hall, coffee bar and study. Andy James, mhs' new initiatives manager, who has been in negotiation with the club for nine months, said: "We have been involved in community youth activities for some time but we wanted to get into something creative and what kids enjoy - and we came up with sport."

The aim is to "tackle issues of educational under-achievement, social exclusion and racism and will focus on particular areas of Medway. Adverts will appear shortly inviting youngsters to apply for the half-term sessions at Charlton's ground at The Valley, South East London.

Club coaches will be offering top tips and mhs will be providing free transport to the ground. Funding is now being sought for the second stage which will involve a recently-acquired double decker travellling to "areas of Medway where there are significant social exclusion issues".

The partnership has already committed £40,000 to the scheme due to start in February. A precise venue for the centre, which will staff a full-time teacher and community worker, has not yet been chosen.

It is thought the scheme will cost in the region of £400,000.

Mr James said:"We are talking to the council about various grounds and if necessary we will buy some land."

Charlton's community liaison officer Ben Tegg said: "The project is a unique opportunity to address the problems of racism and under-achievement in education, while at the same time strengthening both Charlton and mhs as socially aware and responsible organisations.